


won't lose you again

by minilime



Category: Weak Hero (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Wtf am I doing, although i won't promise anything, i love gray and stephen with all my heart, not beta read we die like men, we need more lily content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minilime/pseuds/minilime
Summary: Gray has a chance to save Stephen. Well, maybe too many chances.
Relationships: Stephen Ahn/Gray Yeon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. rinse and repeat

**Author's Note:**

> heyo this is my first fic i'm so excited!!!  
> i apologize if the writing/events/dialogue/literally everything is a bit awkward, i have no idea what i'm doing really
> 
> ...please. have mercy
> 
> anyways enjoy :D

The first time Gray turned back, he didn’t believe it was real. He thought it was all a dream, reliving the same painful days again as if he were being punished by the universe for not doing enough to save Stephen.

But by the second time, Gray realized he could change the timeline. He could change how everything happened. By the third time, he ran after Stephen in the rain. And by the fourth, he started to work out his plan to take down Bryce the day they met him. But it was never enough.

He did everything he could to keep the incident from happening. He avoided the soon-to-be perpetrators. He read every single self-defense book that he could find. He had tried everything he was physically and mentally capable of. So why didn’t it work? 

Why was he here in the classroom, waking up to the sound of curtains being drawn back for the ninth time?

“Gray, wake up. Let’s go.”

_ No. No, no, no, no-  _

He dreaded hearing that exact sentence, for he had heard it far too many times. Gray’s head shot up. Stephen was standing there at the window again, his arms wide open, pushing the aquamarine curtains to make way for the sunlight.

His perception of Stephen had been too damaged because of all the times he’d seen him unconscious, nothing more than an empty shell in a hospital bed. Nothing more than the memories of someone who was once his best friend. But seeing him there, his face free of injury, Gray felt partly convinced that everything would be fine. 

Gray didn’t meet his eyes when he grabbed his bag and stood up. “Yeah.”

Here he was again, walking out of the classroom with Stephen. They were quiet on the way out, Stephen finally breaking the silence when they left the building.

“So. What do you wanna do?”

“Rematch?”

“Rematch? You’re the one who beat me, what are you talking about?”

Gray smiled, feeling too guilty to laugh. “Just come over. If you want.”

“‘Course I do,” Stephen beamed, running across the road.

Gray couldn’t help but smile more, chasing after him. 

“SERIOUSLY?!” Stephen yelled, an announcer’s voice declaring his defeat.

Gray walked back into his room, holding a juice box from the fridge.

“What’s up?” he said, straw in mouth.

“THIS NPC IS TOO OVERPOWERED!” he pouted, head buried in a large teddy bear on Gray’s bed. “AND IT’S ON NORMAL MODE, TOO! WHY AM I SO BAD AT THIS? WHY ARE  _ YOU  _ SO GOOD AT THIS?”

“Repetition,” Gray replied. 

_ Although, it depends on the situation. _

“UGHHHHHH.” Stephen plopped the Xbox remote on the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around the bear. “NEVERMIND. All I need is this guy.” He laid there for a while, his hair getting ruffled up more and more as he sulked.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Gray said, leaning against the door frame. He had started this conversation in a variety of different ways, some without going to the kitchen before, some sitting next to Stephen, some even laying right next to him on his bed. But in none of those times had his words ever gone through to him. It was all a game of trial and error, and he learned that the hard way. 

“Yeah?” 

“If you ever found yourself in some sort of trouble, you’d let me help you, right?”

“What’s up with the sentimental stuff?”

Gray looked away. “It’s my job as your friend to help when things aren’t going well.”

“You’ve done enough.” Stephen smiled.

“I haven’t, really.” Gray admitted, more for himself. Yes, what he’s doing is right. This conversation, as insignificant as it may seem, was Gray’s key to opening the first door. Stephen had to know that he would protect him, or else everything would happen again. He won’t let it happen. He can’t handle the heartbreak anymore.

“You deserve more, Stephen. And I’ll give that to you.”

Stephen smiled to himself, hiding his face deeper inside the fluffy bear. A warmth bloomed in him, like a brother taking pride in his sibling’s actions.

Gray reconsidered his sudden directness for a moment, but decided that it would be okay. Alienating himself from the problem would only push him further away from the solution. Setting down the juice box on his desk, Gray sat on the floor next to Stephen. 

“Stop crying. I’ll teach you all the good combo moves, if you want.”

“I’m not crying!” Stephen bursted.

Gray rolled his eyes.

“What, is that what you meant when you said you’d give me more?” he remarked.

“You know what I mean, you idiot!” Gray retorted, picking up the remote that Stephen had thrown on the floor. “Now listen closely. This move took me a pretty long time to master.”

Stephen leaned forward, propping his head on Gray’s shoulder. “I can’t find a thing I don’t like about you,” he sighed.

Gray considered that for a moment. Out of all of the things he wanted to do to save Stephen, half of them could probably be considered a criminal act. Even just the fact that Gray still couldn’t save him after eight times was something he didn’t want to admit. He failed Stephen too many times, and for him to say that? It was out of place. Just straight up wrong.

“Don’t worry, you will.” he replied. Gray froze, thinking of how to lighten the mood. “ALRIGHT. Look. You have to press jump and dash at the same time, or else you’ll just get the basic move.” He frantically pressed the buttons of the remote, executing each move perfectly. 

_ Does this mean I have to keep rewinding so I eventually get everything right? _

“Hey, let me try!” Stephen said, reaching over to grab the remote.

“Yeah.”

They spent a couple more hours playing video games, and in the midst of his company, Gray thought of his plan to keep Stephen away from Bryce the next day. Bryce Oh was no laughing matter. His hidden nature was dangerous, and Gray couldn’t risk him getting near Stephen.

“Hey, we should go somewhere for lunch tomorrow.” Gray said. If they weren’t there for lunch, then they could avoid the root of the problem.

“Mhm. Okay.” Stephen replied, focused on the game.

“There’s this new bakery that I wanna look at,” he continued.

“Yeah.”

“Just found out my mom died right now.” Gray stated, trying to see if Stephen was listening.

“Cool.” Stephen’s eyes were glued to the screen, finally being able to pull off the combos Gray taught him.

“PFFT-” Gray slammed his hand over his mouth, not understanding why he found Stephen’s reply so amusing.

“What?” Stephen turned to him, his eyes squinted from exhaustion.

“Come on grandpa, let’s get you to bed,” Gray joked. “But seriously. You’re gonna miss the last bus.”

“Ah, crap. Well, I guess I gotta bounce-” Stephen stood up promptly, snatching his backpack off the floor. “Just tell me about that store or whatever tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah. See ya.”

“Bye!” He shuffled out of Gray’s room, then soon the front door creaked open and slammed shut. The house was suddenly filled with an unsettling silence, since the main source of liveliness had just run out to the nearest bus stop.

Gray didn’t move. He sorted his thoughts, his plans that were soon to be set in place as the next day came closer and closer. First, lunch. He would keep Stephen away from the school for their entire break, then whisk him away to his house after school. The chances of crossing paths with Bryce would be much, much lower now.

_ Yeah, _ Gray thought.  _ Yeah. I can save him this time. I know I will. _

The dreams he had that night felt like monsters ripping away at his confidence. He laid in bed peacefully, but in his head, every one of his fears seemed to swallow him whole. His stomach dropped in dread, a tightening pain in his chest, his vision becoming blurry-

“Hello, Gray.” 

Stephen sat in a school desk in the middle of an empty white room, his hands tucked neatly in front of him.

“S- Ste-”

“How many times has it been?” Stephen interjected. He was far away, but his blank stare pierced Gray’s heart. The warmth in his eyes were completely extinguished.

“Wh-”

**_“This is the ninth time. Am I wrong?”_ ** Stephen’s voice suddenly became cold, drained of any emotion. He tilted his head menacingly.

“I- You..” Gray croaked, his heartbeat booming in his ears.

**_“You poor thing. It must hurt so much to see your best friend in so much pain, over and over again...”_ ** The speaker still looked like Stephen, but it couldn’t be him. Whoever was talking was just using his appearance as a mask. It’s not Stephen, right?

“I- I’m trying to save him- to save you,” Gray said. “I don’t want to fail you.” The darkness in the corners of his eyes spread out, his heartbeat growing louder, faster like a crescendo- 

**_“YOU ALREADY HAVE, GRAY YEON.”_ **

The noise was unbearable, every fear, every doubt, exploding in Gray’s mind in an ear-splitting cacophony of pain. He felt a sharp pain in his head and the world was imprisoned in darkness.

Gray rubbed his forehead in pain, his other hand meeting the- carpet? He opened his eyes slowly. The closed blinds of his window let in the faint purple light of the sunrise. Half of his blanket was on the ground with him, the other hanging off the side of his bed. His body ached when he tried to sit up, his eyes drooping from fatigue. 

Oh.

This was the day.

This was the day he had seen too many times. The day everything started to go wrong.


	2. think before you speak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....sup. my apologies for not updating in so long, this chapter was so hard to write for some reason.
> 
> enjoy（=´∇｀=）

The chills from his nightmare never left as Gray sat in his desk, tapping his foot to the ticking of his watch. Lunch was just about a minute away, and he figured it was bad for his health to be in so much impatience.

_ BRRRRRRRRRINGGGGG- _

Gray abruptly stood up, nearly knocking over his chair in the process. He scampered his way towards Stephen’s desk with a determined look in his eyes and a cold feeling in his stomach. Slamming both hands on his desk, he willed Stephen to hurry up.

“Chill out, the bread isn’t gonna go anywhere,” he joked.

Gray felt like his insides were flipping upside-down during their brisk walk to the bakery. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that never occurred if you knew what you were doing. Perhaps, it was a result of the daunting nightmare that made its way into his consciousness nearly every night.

“Is that it?” Stephen pointed to a small building across the nearly empty street.

“I’m pretty sure.”

As Stephen pushed open the door, they were greeted with the sweet scent of baked bread and the gentle heat from the constant opening and closing of ovens. The warm ambiance combined with the dimly lit background made Gray’s nerves tone down slightly.

An employee was working at the counter, and one other customer was standing inside. A girl wearing a Byuksan Middle School uniform. How fast had she gone to get there before them? She quickly glanced up to the gentle chime of the shopkeeper’s bell situated above the door.

Her blonde hair was tied into a neat ponytail. She looked back down and gazed attentively at the large display of baked goods through a pair of round glasses.

_ I’ve never seen her around, _ Gray thought. 

“Hey, I didn’t know you went to our school.” Stephen suddenly said, as if he could read Gray’s thoughts. He walked up to the girl with a smile. 

“Ah,” she uttered. “I think I know you.” Her expression changed as if to study Stephen’s face better. 

“Stephen Ahn.” He said, friendly as ever.

“Ohhh. I guessed so. Y’know, you’re really popular in my class. Him, too.” She gestured to Gray behind him. Wait, what? 

“I- ...Cool?” Stephen grinned nervously.

“Sorry. That was a terrible introduction. I’m Lily,” she said, hesitantly. “I heard this place had some good croissants.”

Lily looked over to the bakery employee. The employee handed her a brown paper bag, and she exchanged it with a few bills. 

“Thank you.”

She walked towards the door, pushing it open with her shoulder. “I’m gonna get back to school. See you guys around, maybe?”

“Yeah, nice to meet you.” Stephen called. He looked back at the croissants, then at Gray. 

“What, are you gonna buy one?” Gray said.

“..I feel like we can trust her.”

Stephen was always quick to trust people, which was both a strength and a weakness.

“Alright. Let’s get those croissants.”

The boys sat at a picnic table outside of the bakery. Stephen plopped the paper bag on the table.

“Dude. I am so hungry,” he said, digging his hand into the bag. He handed one of the croissants to Gray.

“Me too, honestly.” Gray replied. 

“Are you gonna join that olympiad thing that’s coming up?”

“No.” 

“Whuu? Why?” Stephen asked, mouth half full with croissant.

“I’ve decided to focus on other things,” he stated. It was technically still the truth.

Gray sighed. They managed to avoid Bryce that day, what a relief. But to ensure that they wouldn’t run into him in the coming days, he would try to distract Stephen as much as he could.

Bryce was always a villain, even if they befriended him. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Stephen had a soul that was too good for anyone.

And Gray will do anything he could to protect that.

\---

Lily yawned as the bell that finally signaled the end of the school day rang. She grabbed her bag and stood up, placing her books inside. The sun was just starting to set. And out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something shifting outside.

She stood up to look out the window. A group of bullies were ganging up on a smaller guy. All wearing the same uniform as her and the rest of her schoolmates did. They were kicking the smaller boy, him laying on the ground in pain. 

The side of the school that her classroom’s window faced was one of the least busy ones, facing away from the road. How cruel it was for them to take advantage of it.

A sudden rage swelled up in Lily. Her intuition was telling her to rush downstairs and confront the bullies, but her mind told her she was no match for them. A fragile-looking girl against a group of well-seasoned thugs? She might as well just jump in front of a bus.

And like always, she did what she thought was best.

“Pick on someone your own size.” Lily stood with her head held high, gripping her bag tightly. The bullies snickered amongst themselves as she felt her hands shake. 

The victim of the bullies sat up against the wall, his nose bleeding. He held a broken pair of glasses in one of his hands. A wave of sympathy for him crashed over Lily.

“And what, girl?” The tallest bully asserted. “What are  _ you  _ gonna do about it?”

“You’ll see.” she glowered, her voice filled with defiance.

“ _ God, you're pissing me off-, _ ” he snarled, curling his hands into fists.

“Yo, Oswald-” One of the bullies raised his arm as if to block him. “Are you really gonna-”

“Shut the hell up.” The bully named Oswald stepped towards Lily, and her glare became more irate.

To anyone, this might seem like a terrible idea. 

But Lily wasn’t a quitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LILY.......ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT YOU'VE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH??
> 
> LadyElaine's fanfics really inspired me to give Lily a protagonist-ish role in this fic, i hope that's okay,,
> 
> see yall soon :>


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